Is Proof Needed in Order for God to Exist - 2258 Words

Is Proof Needed in Order for God to Exist At some point in life every person may question the existence of god. This could happen for a number of reasons. For example when we see bad things that occur around the world we may lose our faith or wonder why does god allow these things to happen? As humans we all have a natural instinct to find answers to things that we ourselves cannot explain or understand. Philosophers have spent a great amount of time trying to prove or disapprove the existence of god, but do we really need proof that god exist? This is a tough question to answer because there are people that would say yes and people that would say no. I myself have never questioned the existence of god due to the fact that I feel like†¦show more content†¦All his premises support his conclusion, creating a valid and sound argument proving that God must exist. St. Anselm’s first form of the argument is that God is â€Å"that than which none greater can be conceived†. This means that no one can think of anything that is greater than God. The second idea is, it is greater to exist than not to exist. Next, St. Anselm describes two kinds of existence: existence in the mind, and existence in real. Existence in the reality is very easy to believe, if you can touch, see, smell, hear, or taste something, in reality it exists. Existence in mind is harder to understand for some, because many people only believe what they see. Finally, St. Anselm defined God as the greatest being possible. A being who fails to exist is less perfect than a being that exist. Therefore, God must exist, necessarily. If the greatest thing that we can conceive does not exist than we can still conceive the greatest thing that does exist, and that would be God. Philosophers, whether they are atheists, or believers have always been eager to discuss the existence of God. Some philosophers, such as St Anselm, and Rene Descartes, that formulated the ontological arguments attempt to prove God’s existence, believe that we have proven that God exist through our senses, logic, and experiences. â€Å"Ontological† literally means talking about being and so in this case, that being is the existence or being of God. Ontological arguments all have ways toShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of The Article On Being An Atheist 1290 Words   |  6 Pagesarguments are false and insufficient as it relates to â€Å"proof† of God’s existence. McCloskey believes that without proper proof, we must completely dismiss the idea of God’s existence. In his well-written article he offers a few reasons why he believes that atheism is a much more comfortable belief verses a belief in a God who allows the suffering of his people. He suggested tha t the problem of evil and the fact that evil exist, means that God could not exist. McCloskey urges that people should just help eachRead MoreThe Possibility of Proving the Existence of God Using Inductive and Deductive Arguments1222 Words   |  5 PagesThe Possibility of Proving the Existence of God Using Inductive and Deductive Arguments Many philosophers have attempted to prove the existence of God, although there is no argument as yet which proves without any doubt that God exists. A proof is the demonstration that something is true or, in this case, that God exists. There are 3 types of proof; direct, deductive, and inductive. A direct proof is when something is immediately obvious, so therefore, it cannot be usedRead MoreA Brief Look at Rene Descartes829 Words   |  3 PagesMethod and Meditations. Descartes discusses how there are two main proofs of God’s existence, the casual argument in meditation three and the ontological argument in meditation five. There are a few differences between these two meditations and one is more convincing of the other, but Descartes needed these two proofs to prove a certain point. Also, he shares in meditation four how human error is possible even though a perfect God created humans. Although, those are points that Descartes spent a lotRead MoreAnalysis Of The Article On Being An Atheist 1538 Words   |  7 Pagesarguments are false and insufficient as it relates to â€Å"proof† of God’s existence. McCloskey believes that without proper proof, we must completely dismiss the idea of God’s existence. In his well-written article he offers a few reasons why he believes that ath eism is a much more comfortable belief verses a belief in a God who allows the suffering of his people. He suggested that the problem of evil and the fact that evil exist, means that God could not exist. McCloskey urges that people should just help eachRead MoreAnalysis Of The Article On Being An Atheist By H. J. Gilman1664 Words   |  7 Pagesarguments as â€Å"proof† of God’s non-existence to support his atheism. He attacks arguments made by advocates on the existence of God. The arguments argued by Theist are not arguments for proof of God’s existence but are arguments for definitive beliefs of God’s existence. Any argument on proving the Almighty God’s existence is unsatisfactory. The Theist does not attempt to offer â€Å"proof† of God’s existence but rather offer arguments that are the best explanations of the existence of God. Merely observingRead MoreThe Question Of God s Existence1575 Words   |  7 Pagesquestioned Gods existence myself. Arguments that have been used to support the existence of a divine being includes; the cosmological argument and the theological argument. However, there are some who oppose these arguments and philosopher H.J. McCloskey is among this group. In the article â€Å"On Being an Atheist† written by H.J. McCloskey, he argues that both these arguments are false and insufficient as it relates to â€Å"proof† of God’s existence. McCloskey believes that without proper proof, we must completelyRead MoreAnalysis Of The Article On Being An Atheist 1558 Words   |  7 Pagesare false and insufficient as it relates to â€Å"proof† of God’s existence. McCloskey believes that without proper proof, we must completely dismiss the idea of God’s existence. In his well-written article, he offers a few reasons why he believes that atheism is a much more comfortable belief versus, a belief in a God who allows the suffering of his people. He suggested that the problem of evil and the fact that evil exists meant that God could not exist. McCloskey urges that people should just helpRead MoreDescartes: Proofs of God/Deception and Error Essay1093 Words   |  5 PagesDescartes: Proofs of God/Deception and Error Instructions: First: Analyze and evaluate the two proofs of Gods existence. How are they different? Is one more convincing than the other? Why did Descartes think he needed two proofs? Do they do different work for him? And secondly: Does Descartes give a satisfactory account of human error, given a perfect and divine creator? Are Descartes arguments convincing, or does it still seem unnecessary and less than perfect that God created us withRead MoreThe Argument Of God s Existence1737 Words   |  7 PagesBEST EXPLANATION Does God exist? This question has been in debate for centuries with many opposing views, some arising from philosophers on the same side while others refute Gods existence altogether. However for this particular paper I will be taking the best explanations approach. What I mean by this is I do not have proof of God’s existence but the existence of God is the best explanation for the universe around me. With this statement in mind we will discuss arguments in support of God’s existenceRead MoreThe Question Of The Existence Of A Higher Power, Or A God1733 Words   |  7 Pagesor a god, has long plagued philosophers. Today, much of the intellectual community believe that a god does not, and cannot exist. Yet, for much of the world’s population there is a firm belief in a deity. McCloskey in his article â€Å"On Being an Atheist†, outlines the reasons he believes theists are wrong. As a result it is only natural for theists to examine his work and see if h is points truly defeat the idea of god’s existence. McCloskey begins by denying the idea that the existence of a god has been